Cam Newton is set to participate in Patriots minicamp, including his full complement of reps this week (Twitter link via Jim McBride of the Boston Globe). That’s good news for the quarterback after he was forced out of OTAs earlier this month with a hand injury.
Newton reportedly banged his hand against a teammate’s helmet, resulting in a painful bone bruise. The injury was said to be fairly minor from the get-go, though it could have impacted his availability for these early practices. Meanwhile, Newton needs the on-field time as he battles for the starting job with first-round pick Mac Jones.
Soon after landing Jones, head coach Bill Belichick said that Newton would be slotted as the starter until further notice. That’s a familiar refrain in the NFL, though younger guys often go on to beat out the established vets ahead of them.
Newton didn’t exactly inspire confidence in his first season with the Pats. The longtime Panthers star threw for just eight touchdowns against 10 interceptions. On the plus side, he completed 65.8% of his passes, which was a better showing than most of his NFL seasons. The Pats still re-upped Newton, but his one-year carries just $3.5M in guarantees.
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